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Update:
We have been resting close to 2
weeks now, and frankly some of us are getting pretty restless. The weather
hasn’t been kind to us for the last one week or so, and today is one of the
first good-weather days for a long time.
We decided to practice on the
Ice Fall, and mimic some of the conditions we will face on our summit bid. We
went to a site with ice features about 10 meters high and 30 meters long 15
minutes away from the Base Camp, where Mark Tucker, one of the main guides in
the American team, had set up ropes across the entire ice section.

Traversing an ice section which mimics
that above the South Col |
The section approximates the
conditions above the South Col, where there is a long traverse section with
fixed rope attached horizontally. Many climbers are expected to go up that
section on summit day, and competence and a level head are needed to cross it
safely.
We started up the section
with relative ease, using our crampons and ice axe to cross gingerly like a
crab while safely clipped onto the fixed rope. We also discussed possible ways
of dealing with problematic people and confusing situations such as when the
ropes are not properly fixed to anchors. Personal judgment comes into play at
such a high altitude, where communication and actions are not taken for
granted.
We also fixed up a vertical
section on the wall to mimic the conditions of the famous Hillary Steps, a 15m
rock climb just below the summit of Everest. Ascending the rope at an altitude
above the “the Death Zone”, even when simulated, was not easy, as we had our
double boots, thick mittens, oxygen masks, goggles, full-weighted packs and
down suits on, which restrict our vision and movement. We replicated these
conditions as much as we could at the Ice Fall, and made sure that our current
system of equipment arrangement worked.
The practice took the whole
morning, and we returned to Base Camp in time for lunch. We were enjoying our
fried rice and juice when two Singaporean trekkers arrived at our tent. They
were our director Kim Boon’s friends. It was the first time that Singaporeans
had come to visit our camp during this expedition, and we welcomed them
warmly.
Video
Crossing the Khumbu Icefall, Nepal
from the
National University of Singapore
2005 Everest Expedition team. Click the picture

Dispatches
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